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Your Investment Journey

FAQs for Investors

Common questions from Investors about funding, investment strategy, and how we work with startups.

• When can I expect to exit?

  The average industry investment holding period currently ranges from 3 -10+ years. Symvan’s target holding period on either of the Funds is 7 years. 

  Investors need to hold S/EIS investments for at least 3 years to retain tax relief claims. After the 3 year requirement has been met, we will continue to work with the companies to increase their chance of delivering a positive return and will work towards exit opportunities as they arise. 

  Symvan will seek to provide exit opportunities to all investors equally via outright sales to strategic or late stage investors. Symvan may consider accepting an exit offer before the expiration of the S/EIS 3 year period if the return is positive and covers any loss of tax benefit. 

  If and when an underlying company fails, you will be able to claim loss relief.

• Who do I contact if I have a query on my investment?

  We understand the importance of communication, therefore at the point of investment you will be assigned (if you are not already in contact with someone from the team), a relationship manager, who will be your key point of contact should you have any queries.

  If you have not had a response and or your query is urgent, you can also get in touch with Symvan Capital via cs@symvancapital.com and a member of the team will come back to you within 24 hours.

• How do I receive information on my investment?

  Once your client’s subscription has been deployed, both you and your client will be invited to activate the Portal account. 

  From here, you will be able to view and download all communications, certificates, valuations, and company reports. Via your dashboard, you will also be able to review each individual holding at any time.

• How many companies will I have in my portfolio?

  The number of portfolio companies under one subscription depends on which Symvan Capital Fund you are considering investing into:  

  • SEIS Technology Fund – target deployment of 5-6 portfolio companies. 
  • EIS Technology Fund – target deployment of 10-12 companies.

• What types of companies does Symvan Capital invest in?

  We invest in businesses that have created innovative solutions solving real problems. Every SEIS and EIS portfolio company is harnessing AI and/or other enabling technologies across a range of key sectors. We look for B2B, SaaS, and Enterprise Solutions and our area of expertise include FinTech, InsurTech, PropTech, LegalTech and HRTech in particular.

• When can I claim income tax relief on my subscription?

  You can claim income tax relief against each company investment as soon as you receive an S/EIS certificate. You can expect to receive EIS certificates within 8 weeks of the investment into each company. SEIS typically takes a little longer as HMRC requires the company to first spend at least 70% of the SEIS investment before a certificate can be applied for. 

  Once a certificate has been issued to you and uploaded to your Portal, you will receive a notification via email.

• How long does it take to receive S/EIS3 certificates?

  On average, investors receive EIS3 certificates within eight weeks following share issuance, although this timeframe is largely dependent on HMRC timelines. HMRC has recently improved its processing times and this can be less than four weeks.

  SEIS3 certificates typically take longer. HMRC rules require companies to spend at least 70% of the SEIS investment received before they can apply for the certificates to be issued.

  Once a certificate has been issued to you and uploaded to your Portal, you will receive a notification via email.

• How long does it take for my subscription to be invested in the underlying companies?

  The target deployment depends on which Symvan Capital Fund you are considering investing in: 

  • EIS Technology Fund – The Fund deploys subscriptions regularly and at least on a quarterly basis. We can also cater for speedier deployment if clients have specific needs or for example, a CGT deadline. 
  • SEIS Technology Fund – The Fund will deploy subscriptions over a period of 12-18 months. This fits with our selective approach to choosing the best companies.

• How much will I pay in fees?

  Regardless of whether you are considering investing in the SEIS or EIS Fund, you will not be charged any initial / entry or ongoing fees. This allows you to claim the full amount of tax relief available on your subscription to the Fund(s).

  The only fee charged to you is a performance fee, being 20% of the return above a 100% hurdle, charged only after an aggregate positive return.
  Our fees are charged to the portfolio companies and this differs depending on the Fund. For more details on the Funds’ fee structure, please request a copy of the Information Memorandum(s).

  • Symvan Technology EIS Fund
  • Symvan Technology SEIS Fund 3

• How do I invest?

  If you are comfortable and ready to apply for either of the Funds, you can request the application form and supporting investment materials via our online form. Alternatively, you can get in touch with a member of the sales team to discuss a potential investment. 

• How much can I invest?

  Under EIS, you can invest up to £1m in the tax year (or £2m if anything above £1m is in ‘knowledge intensive’ investments).

  Under SEIS, you can invest up to £200,000 in the tax year. 

  The minimum subscription to our Funds is: 

  • SEIS Technology Fund – £10,000
  • EIS Technology Fund – £20,000